Wonderbox Metal

Shaarimoth – Devildom (Review)

This is the third album from Shaarimoth, a blackened death metal band from Norway.

Shaarimoth return with Devildom, a new 43 minutes of material. After a considerable gap since their last album, (2017’s Temple of the Adversarial Fire), I knew I wanted to make sure I immersed myself in the band’s dark blackened death metal once more. Shaarimoth haven’t been totally absent though during that time though, as in 2021 they also contributed to a split release with Thy Darkened Shade, Amestigon and Inconcessus Lux Lucis called SamaeLilith: A Conjunction of the Fireborn. Continue reading “Shaarimoth – Devildom (Review)”

Dead Icarus – Zealot (Review)

This is the debut album from US metal band Dead Icarus.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Icarus’ debut EP Ad Infernum, which brought the ex-singer of Atreyu’s charismatic vocals back to the world of heavy music. Now we have the 38-minute Zealot, and Dead Icarus, (who also contain members of Enterprise Earth and Whitechapel), are on fire. Continue reading “Dead Icarus – Zealot (Review)”

Frozen Crown – War Hearts (Review)

Frozen Crown are an Italian power metal band and this is their fifth album.

Frozen Crown, a band I’d never heard of before last year’s excellent Call of the North, did the completely unexpected with that album and came out of nowhere and topped my end of year list. Now that we have War Hearts, especially so soon after its predecessor, I was apprehensive before listening to it; could lightning strike twice? Continue reading “Frozen Crown – War Hearts (Review)”

UK Slam Fest 2024 – Day Two: Saturday – Disavowed/Devangelic/Fulci/Anime Torment/Impurist/Anoxide/Spawned from Hate/Slug Gore/Colpocleisis/Type A Secretor – The Bread Shed, Manchester – 19/10/24 (Live Review)

Day two of UK Slam Fest. I couldn’t make day one unfortunately, but I had to make sure I was here for today. After all, it promises a glorious celebration of ugly heaviness. It’s brutal, fun, and had to be seen. The Bread Shed is not a venue I’ve been to before, but I like it and I’d happily come back here again.

Spoiler alert – this was a top day of brutality. Even Borat was in attendance, unexpectedly. Continue reading “UK Slam Fest 2024 – Day Two: Saturday – Disavowed/Devangelic/Fulci/Anime Torment/Impurist/Anoxide/Spawned from Hate/Slug Gore/Colpocleisis/Type A Secretor – The Bread Shed, Manchester – 19/10/24 (Live Review)”

Vomit Forth – Terrified of God (Review)

This is the second album from Vomit Forth, a death metal band from the US.

Following on from 2022’s ugly and brutal Seething Malevolence, Terrified of God contains 27 minutes of ferocious material. Vomit Forth’s new record is a hideous slab of nasty death metal carnage. Continue reading “Vomit Forth – Terrified of God (Review)”

Devin Townsend – PowerNerd (Review)

Devin Townsend is a prolific Canadian artist who has a vast and intimidating discography. Whatever he touches though is always individual and interesting, and frequently brilliant.

PowerNerd is a 44-minute progressive rock album that has apparently been born out of a desire by the artist to simplify his approach to songwriting. Continue reading “Devin Townsend – PowerNerd (Review)”

Fit for an Autopsy – The Nothing That Is (Review)

Fit for an Autopsy are a deathcore band from the US and this is their seventh album.

I do so like Fit for an Autopsy. If you haven’t already, check out The Depression Sessions, The Great Collapse, The Sea of Tragic Beasts, Oh What the Future Holds, and The Aggression Sessions; all are worth your time and document a band increasingly carving their own niche in deathcore’s crowded landscapes. So then, what do the 44 minutes of new material on The Nothing That Is provide us with? Continue reading “Fit for an Autopsy – The Nothing That Is (Review)”

Iotunn – Kinship (Review)

Iotunn are a progressive metal band from Denmark, and this is their second album.

Now here’s one that’s been greatly anticipated. It’s an absolute travesty that Iotunn’s 2021 debut Access All Worlds didn’t end up on that year’s end of year list. How it didn’t I’ll never know, as it would easily have been in the top 5 or 10. Entirely my mistake, as it’s a fantastic record. All of which is to say that Kinship has a lot of expectation riding on it. Continue reading “Iotunn – Kinship (Review)”

Schammasch – The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean (Review)

Schammasch are a black metal band from Switzerland and this is their fifth album.

I have been really excited to hear this one. I’ve been a big fan of everything I’ve heard from Schammasch; make sure you check out 2016’s Triangle and 2019’s Hearts of No Light, both of which are top tier records, and both of which placed on my end of year lists for 2016 and 2019. Interestingly though, The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean is the spiritual follow up to Schammasch’s 2017 avant-garde EP The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite, making me even more interested to find out what this new opus had to offer. Continue reading “Schammasch – The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean (Review)”

Gaerea – Coma (Review)

This is the fourth album from Portuguese black metallers Gaerea.

Ever since I first heard 2018’s Unsettling Whispers Gaerea have stood out to me as something pretty special. In 2020 Limbo solidified this opinion, and then in 2022 Mirage cemented this further. In fact, my appreciation of Mirage has only increased since catching the band’s transcendental live experience at this year’s fantastic Fortress Festival. I have high hopes for Coma. Continue reading “Gaerea – Coma (Review)”